As we've said before, Oregonian psych-doom unit YOB may be the best slow-and-heavy band around today. Among their many accomplishments is the role they've played in the ascent of Profound Lore Records, which has become one of metal's premiere taste-making labels over the past decade. YOB signed to PFL after their brief mid-aughts hiatus for the release of The Great Cessation in 2009, and recently re-released their second album Catharsis through the label.

It thus comes as something of a surprise to hear that YOB have moved on to a different label. Specifically, they've signed on with Neurot Recordings, which is the in-house label for Neurosis (the other best slow-and-heavy band around today). The musicians involved have crossed paths before, having played shows together both under the YOB/Neurosis monikers as well as in solo or side-project formats. (More on that in a sec.) Comments Neurosis guitarist/vocalist Steve Von Till on the signing:

"This was meant to be. Neurot has always sought out to work with those who share in the purification of spirit through sound and who harvest their sound from originality and intensity. When I listen to YOB, see them leave it all on the stage, or share a conversation with them about life, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that they embody what Neurot stands for completely and we are so very honored that we get the opportunity to work together with them on their next album."

The signing announcement also comes with some welcome news: YOB will release their seventh album later this year. Frontman Mike Scheidt has been quite busy with side projects lately, including both solo touring and the supergroups Vhol & Lumbar, so it's good to hear that the gears are turning in his main band too.

Speaking of Scheidt's solo material: he is one of the participants in the second edition of an ongoing series of Townes Van Zandt tribute LPs. (Neurosis dudes Von Till and Scott Kelly contributed to the first edition -- another connection between them and YOB.) Scheidt will perform "To Live is to Fly," "The Rake," and "Highway Kind"; John Baizley (Baroness), Nate Hall (U.S. Christmas), Stevie Floyd (Dark Castle), Dorthia Cottrell (Windhand), and Katie Jones are also on board. Neurot will handle that release as well.

Check out a Baizley/Jones duet rendition of the TVZ classic "If I Needed You" below...

Those include a NYC stop at Saint Vitus on October 21 with Mount Salem opening. Advance tickets are not on sale yet but you can keep tabs via the venue's Ticketfly page. Check out the complete list of Scheidt/Uzala dates, and some live YOB footage (because why not?), below.

Okay, so this lineup is absolutely insane. Mike Scheidt, the Lennon-esque frontman of astral doomsters Yob and metal supergroup VHOL, has joined forces with Tad Doyle of Sup Pop grunge heroes TAD and Aaron Edge of Himsa and a variety of other bands. Their new troupe is called Lumbar.

Here's what probably happened: Scheidt knew Doyle from their shared Northwestern background; Doyle also tracked Scheidt's Thrill Jockey solo album, Stay Awake. In turn, Doyle knew Edge from their time together in Brothers of the Sonic Cloth. According to his résumé, Edge was the art director for Southern Lord Records until late last year. Put it all together and boom, you've got a debut Lumbar album coming out via Southern Lord in November.

Details remain relatively scant, but we do know that Doyle tracked the album and that Edge composed most of the material, which meditates on his battle with multiple sclerosis. Intense. Check out the cover art, along with a live performance of a song from the Doyle-produced Scheidt solo record, below.

A few hints regarding the lineup of the 7th annual Fall Into Darkness fest have trickled out over the past few weeks, but now the full lineup has hit the newswire. Curated by Nate Carson of the excellent doom band Witch Mountain, the fest will bring a broad range of psychedelic rock and metal acts to Portland, OR from October 10 - 13.

Yesterday, we mentioned that Thrill Jockey Records will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and in honor of it are hosting a show at Webster Hall on September 15 with Tortoise, Future Islands, Matmos, Liturgy. and D. Charles Speer. That show is actually just one in a series of 20th anniversary shows the label are putting on around the country, including a much smaller one in NYC at Death by Audio on September 14 with White Hills, Guardian Alien, Man Forever (who also plays DbA on Friday, 7/20), Dan Friel, and Rhyton. Tickets for the Death by Audio show and the Webster Hall show are on sale now.

In addition to the shows, the label will also celebrate their anniversary with newly commissioned silk screened posters, like this one and this one, and 2-minute video shorts, like the one by Ashby Lee Collinson that you can watch below. They've also asked a number of comedians, including Fred Armisen, to write two jokes (one clean and one dirty) and Thrill Jockey will be recording reactions to the jokes and pressing them on limited edition vinyl.

In related news, experimental duo Matmos (aka M.C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel), who are playing some of the anniversary shows including the Webster Hall one, have just recently signed to Thrill Jockey, and they'll put out their first release for the label, the Ganzfeld EP, on October 15.

All currently known Thrill Jockey 20th anniversary shows (more TBA) are listed below with lineups...

Krallice have announced that their fourth LP, Years Past Matter, will see a self-release on CD/Digital with vinyl via Gilead Media "shortly thereafter". In celebration, the Brooklyn band will play NYC at Saint Vitus on August 25th. Tickets are on sale and support will come from Ancient Wound.

Reminder, Colin Marston of Krallise is readying Dysrhythmia's new LP which is due this fall. The band also has a record release show scheduled for Saint Vitus, this one on September 22nd (tickets). Two-thirds of Dysrhythmia recently played Irving Plaza as 1/2 of Gorguts (pictures).

Another reminder though more on the imminent tip, Kevin Hufnagel of Dysrhythmia will play Saint Vitus on 7/21 (tickets) supporting Mike Scheidt (YOB) and Nate Hall (US Christmas).

Mike Scheidt of YOB will head out on the road on a string of tour dates with Nate Hall (US Christmas), hitting the East Coast as part of a celebration of both's recent solo releases. The dates include an NYC stop on July 21st at Saint Vitus with Kevin Hufnagel, and tickets are on sale.

Both Nate Hall's solo debut and Scheidt's Stay Awake are out now via Neurot and Thrill Jockey respectively. Check out a video for "In Your Light" by the latter below.

in related news, Dysrhythmia (which features Kevin Hufnagel on guitar, along with bandmate Colin Marston) will team with The Wayward and Praetura as part of their record release show on September 22nd at Saint Vitus (tickets). The band's Profound Lore debut is due this fall.

We are proud to announce our sponsorship of the upcoming Hammers of Misfortune/The Gates of Slumber East Coast/Midwest jaunt! The dates include a kick-off show in Chicago before looping to Saint Vitus for a July 23rd date. Tickets are on sale and support is still TBA.

The Hammers of Misfortune released their Metal Blade debut 17th Street last year. The band features John Cobbett and Sigrid Sheie, who are also members of the previously mentioned West Coast "supergroup" with Mike Scheidt (Yob, and solo artist) and Aesop Dekker (Agalloch, who is coming soon).

The Gates of Slumber recently played NYC supporting Church of Misery (pictures).

Cough will embark on a string of dates with Dragged into Sunlight following their appearance at Maryland Deathfest 2012. After those dates come to a close, look for DiS to hook up with Wolvhammer for a string of shows including Saint Vitus on 6/14 with The Year is One (tickets).

Unearthly Trance shows are few and far between nowadays, but the band will awaken from their live slumber to play Acheron on March 1st as part of a bill that includes The Communion, Water Torture, and Syphilitic Lust. $8 gets you in the door. Check out the flyer below.

Horseback has completed their new LP Half Blood due via Relapse this Spring. Details are limited so far, but Roadburn has more details about the record and its "amalgamation of drone, doom, black-metal, psychedelia, post-rock, noise, and ambience recorded with a wide array of instruments including guitar, bass, drums, keys, piano, bells, contact mics, field recordings, drum programming, noise and various signal processors." Yep, sounds like a Horseback record!

Check out a new Noisear track from their upcoming three-way split with Antigama and The Kill above. The track features vocals by Mitchell Luna of ex-Maruta fame.

Perdition will join Varix, Murderer and Sad Boysat Heaven Street Records TONIGHT (2/3). Door entry will cost you zilch and beers will cost you a dollar. Sounds like a winning night of furious, crusty punk to me.

Slices are preparing their new LPStill Cruising for Iron Lung Records. Look for it in the coming weeks and stream "Greensleeves" from the LP below.

One interesting and important footnote to the upcoming Behold the Arctopus show at Saint Vitus on Feb 24th... Support will come from Mindless Blasting and Geryon, two bands which feature Mick Barr with Nondor Nevai and Nick McMaster with Lev Weinstein respectively. Basically, a night of Krallice-related projects... should be interesting. Tickets are on sale.

YOB recently visited NJ with Tool. Right before that, they headlined their own show in Chicago with Anatomy of Habit and an opening set by YOB's Mike Scheidt who is going to release a solo album this year on Thrill Jockey. BV Chicago has pics from the Chicago show.